Upper Pottsgrove moving to enact data center zoning
Upper Pottsgrove Township commissioners voted to begin drafting a zoning ordinance to regulate data centers. This decision comes after Douglass Township withdrew from a regional planning compact, which exposed surrounding municipalities to data center development challenges. The new ordinance aims to impose controls on issues like noise, water use, and electricity consumption.
On the same night Douglass Township voted to withdraw from the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission, Upper Pottsgrove Township commissioners initiated the drafting of a zoning ordinance specifically for data centers. Commissioner Al Leach highlighted the urgent need for local protections following Douglass's departure from the regional compact, which previously offered a buffer against zoning challenges under Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code.
The move by Upper Pottsgrove is a response to a recent surge in hyperscale data center applications across the region, including in nearby East Vincent, East Coventry, Upper Merion, Plymouth, East Whiteland, and Limerick. Township solicitor Rebecca Geiser, who also serves Limerick Township where two data centers are proposed, noted the importance of having local controls. She explained that without specific zoning, developers could propose data centers anywhere allowed by current industrial zoning, potentially between Route 100 and Farmington Avenue.
Geiser indicated that Montgomery and Chester counties have already provided guidelines for such ordinances, which can include restrictions on noise, water use, vibrations, and heat generation. Many municipalities in the region are adopting "conditional use" mechanisms, granting commissioners the authority to impose specific conditions on data center projects for approval. The goal is to "make it as difficult as possible" for developers if not properly regulated, ensuring the township is prepared for potential applications.